Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~z~5~40 15433
QUADRUPLE CAVITY GLASS MOLD OPERATING APPARATUS
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to glass forming machines and
in particular, to the prison or blank forming mechanism
on the ITS. type of glass forming machine shown in the
Jingle US. Patent 1,911,119. In this patent, a glass
forming charge is delivered to a prison mold at a prison
molding station where the charge is shaped by settle
blow and counter blowing the glass at the station to form
a prison. The prison thereafter is inverted and trays-
furred to a blow molding station where it is blown into
its final shape.
Where a plurality of charges are to be delivered
simultaneously to a plurality of prison molds at the
prison molding station, considerable difficulty is
encountered in providing sufficient clearance so that large
diameter articles can be produced on a machine that
basically has the same overall dimension as the above
referred to conventional machine. Prior US. Patent
3,721,545 to Irwin, of common assignee with present
application, discloses a triple cavity glass forming
apparatus. In the apparatus disclosed in US. Patent
3,721,545, the distance from the mold arm hinge post 27
to the center of the neck mold invert arm axis, limits the
mechanism to a triple gob glass forming machine.
To increase the number of mold cavities provided on the
basic machine would require a major expansion of the
machine base and thus affect the entire layout of a glass
container manufacturing plant.
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The mechanisms for opening and closing the prison
moldsvand the manner in which they are mounted on the arms
for supporting them, is a significant arrangement in the
present invention, and it is an object of the present
invention to provide apparatus which will give equal
closing forces on all of the four side-by-side prison
mold haves, with the clamping ox the prison molds in
their closed position being carried out through the opera-
lion of existing crank arm mechanism on the conventional
or existing ITS. machines.
It is a further object of this invention to provide
apparatus for operation of the molds in which the mold
arms are designed, such that they give greater closing
forces on the long arms necessary to support four prison
molds.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A glass forming machine wherein four charges are formed
into prisons at a prison molding station and thereafter
transferred to a blow molding station, where they are
blown into final shape, where means are provided for
mounting the prison molds at the prison molding station
in such a manner that they may move away from one another
a sufficient distance to provide clearance of the neck
molds so whey can pass between the open molds while still
confining the molds to the area permitted between the
mechanisms that are presently on the standard US type
glass forming machine. The manner of applying the closing
forces to the molds is such as to increase the force more
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than 25% greater than that achieved on the conventional triple
cavity machine. The hinge post for the prison mold arms is
placed a greater distance from the invert axis, yet the base
of the machine is no larger.
Accordingly, there is thus provided in a glass forming
apparatus wherein a plurality of charges of glass are delivered
to prison molds at a prison worming station, are formed into
prisons at the prison forming station and are thereafter
transferred to a blow molding station where they are blown to
shape, the combination comprising a machine base, a pair of
arms mounted on the base for swinging movement about a common
axis with the arms hazing actuating portions extending beyond
the pivot axis thereof, three flank arm inserts, four mold
halves mounted on one insert and two mold halves mounted on
each of the other inserts, means pivotal mounting the insert
carrying four mold halves to the end of one of the arms,
equalizer bar means pivotal connected to the center of each
of the two inserts for supporting the inserts fox limited pivotal
movement relative thereto, means pettily mounting the center of
the equalizer bar to the end of the other of the arms, a vertical
shaft individual to each art, the shafts being positioned on
opposite sides and forwardly of the cQ~mon axis of the arms, means
connecting the shafts to the actuating portions of their respective
arms for swinging the mold arms toward and away from one another
to bring the inserts toward and away from one another and in turn
close the mold halves into complementary relation to form mold
cavities and move the mold halves apart for removal of prisons
formed in the mold cavities, whereby the shaft on one side of the
pivot axis actuates the mold arm on the opposite side of the pivot
axis, with the clockwise rotation of the right hand shaft affecting
the closing of the left side molds and inserts and the counter close-
wise rotation of the left side shaft resulting in closing of the
right side molds and inserts, inter engaging cam and follower means
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sly
on thy base and the insert carrying the four mold halves and the
equalizer bar carrying the two inserts, for guiding the insert
and bar in opening and closing movement of the mold halves such
that upon initial opening movement of the arms the inserts are
swung in an arc about the common axis to a predetermined angular
position and upon further opening ox the arms causing the inserts
to move further apart and rotate relative to the arms to maintain
substantially the same predetermined angular position upon full
opening of the mold halves.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the prison forming station
showing the mold handling mechanism ox the invention;
FIG. 2 is the plan view similar to Foggily showing the prison
molds in their opened position;
FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view, on an enlarged
scale, taken at line 3-3 of FIG. l;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged, detailed plan view of the area designated
by the arrow A on FIG. l;
FIG. 5 is a side elevation Al view of the left hand arm as
viewed in FIG. 1 on an enlarged scalpel and
FIG. 6 is a side elevation Al view of the right hand arm as
viewed in FIG. 1 on an enlarged scale.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
With reference to the drawings, and in particular Fig. 1, the
apparatus embodying invention includes a base 10 upon which the mold
mechanisms are supported. Standing vertically upward from the base,
adjacent one end thereof, is a main pivot post 11. At opposite
sides and slightly in front of the main pivot post 11 are a pair of
operating shafts 12 and 13. These shafts 12 and 13 are rotated
about their vertical axis through the operation of an air motor,
which is located in the base of the machine, and as shown in my
prior patent 3,721,545.
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It should be understood that both shafts 12 and 13 are
rotated through the same degree of rotation, but in opposite
directions at the same time, to effect the movement of
mold awns 14 and 15, respectively, connected to the shafts
12 and 13. The arm 14 is cl~nped Jo the shaft 12 by the
integral split sleeve formed therewith and is tightened
by a bolt 16. A similar split sleeve carries the arm 15,
which in turn is held fixed to the shaft 13 by a bolt 17.
The arms 14 and 15 when driven by the shafts 12 and 13
will operate through links 18 and 19 to move mold arm
extensions 20 and 21 of mold arms 22 and 23, respectively.
It can readily be seen that the extension 20 is part of
the arm 22 and the extension 21 is part of the arm 23.
As the shafts 12 and 13 are rotated, they will affect the
movement of the arms 22 and 23 from the position shown
in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig 2. The particular
position of the pivot post 11 in the present invention is
set at a greater distance from the invert axis than in
previous machine sections, yet the section is of the same
basic size.
The awn 22, as shown in detail in the side elevation Al
view of Fig 6, is bifurcated at its extending end where
it supports a vertical pivot pin 24. The pivot pin 24
extends between an upper extending portion 25 and a lower
extending portion 26 of the awn 22. Inte~nediate the
portions 25 and 26 is a mold holder or insert 27. The
mold insert 27 is comprised of two horizontal extending
members, as best seen in Fig. 6, connected together by a
34~
pair of spaced-apart webs 28. Mold holder 27 is provided
with four vertical pins 29, which extend upwardly from the
upper surface thereof, with these pins 29 serving as the
mounting pins for mold halves 30. In opposing relationship
to the mold holder 27, there is provided a pair of linearly
spaced mold holders or inserts 31 and 32. These holders
or inserts 31 and 32 each have a pair of vertically extend-
in pins 29, which serve as hangers for the mold halves 33.
As can best be seen in Figs. 1 and 2, the inserts 31 and
32 are separated from each other by a small gap, and each is
pivotal supported intermediate its ends by a pivot pin 34
and 35, respectively, which extends through and is supported
at the outer ends of an equalizing bar, generally design
noted 36. us best shown in Fig. 5, the equalizing bar 36 is
actually formed of two vertically spaced, horizontal members
37 and 38, with the center thereof provided with a vertical
web 39 having a vertical passage formed therein within
which a pivot pin 40 is mounted. The pivot pin has its ends
extending through and beyond the members 37 and 38, and
these extending ends are pivotal supported in the ends of
vertically spaced fingers 41 and 42 of the arm 23. It can
thus be seen that by the operation of the shafts 12 and 13
of a rotation through an arc of from 30 to 35 , the mold
arms 22 and 23 will be moved apart from the position shown
in Fig. 1 and will assume the position shown in Fig. 2. It
has been found that a rotation of the shafts through an arc
of 33.5 is preferable. Beneath the mold halves 30 and 33,
as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, are a set of neck molds 44. The
neck molds 44 are actually split molds, but for purposes of
explanation herein, may be considered as complete neck de-
fining molds.
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15433
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The neck molds 44 are carried in a pair of support arms
45 and 46. The neck mold supporting arms 45 and 46
together constitute the invert arm of the IS type glass
forming machine. It should be understood that the arms
45 and 46 are carried on a horizontal spindle such that
they move through an arc of owe The neck molds are moved
after the prison molds are opened, as shown in Fig. 2,
through a path which would extend upwardly through and
between the mold halves 30 and 33 in Fig. 2 as the prisons
are transferred by their neck to a slow mold station.
In order to get the mold halves 30 and 33 to open
a sufficient amount to permit movement of the neck molds
44 and the invert arms 45 and 46 to move upwardly there-
between and still avoid the interference of the open arms
with adjacent glass forming sections, it has been found
necessary to provide a mold opening arrangement which is
other than a straight vertical hinge. With this in view,
the mold holder 27 is provided, adjacent its lower portion
as perhaps best seen in Fig. 3, with a boss 47. The boss
47 has a downward extending hollow portion in which a
hardened pin 48 is held. The pin 48 extends into a cam
track 49. The track 49 in effect forms a box cam within
which the end of the pin 48 will ride at the time the
mold arm 22 is moved from its closed to opened position.
I The initial portion of the cam track 49 is provided with
a curve area so that the molds will move generally apart
as if hinged about post 11, initially, and as the arms are
moved even further apart the cam track becomes straight.
15433
I
The follower riding in the straight portion of the track
will cause the inserts 27 to pivot relative to the arm 22
in a counterclockwise direction when considering the arm 22.
The opposite side mold supporting system at the side which
supports the mold haves 33l the equalizing bar 36, and in
particular its lower member 38, is provided with an
outstanding boss 50 from which extends a pin or cam
follower 51. The pin 51 rides in a cam track 52. The
cam track 52, as shown specifically in Fig. 4, at the
beginning 53 of its track, is provided with a curve or
slanted area as specifically shown, and as previously
explained, this permits the beginning motion of the move-
mint of the arms to move the molds apart as hinted at 11.
The further movement of the arms causes the mold inserts
to move in a more parallel direction relative to each
other as the arms are moved apart to the position shown
in Fig. 2. The extensions and the mounting of the arms 22
and 23 provides an arrangement where a greater closing force
may be exerted on the arms 22 and 23, as compared to how the
arms were previously supported, for example, as shown in
US. Patent 3,721,545. In this particular patent, the mold
carrying arms were connected to the crank arm that operates
them adjacent the area between the pivot for the mold holder
and the arms. Considerably more leverage it available
when the arms are provided with a scissor-like hinge, as is
the case in the present application, and the forces that
may be applied during closing, which is the critical period
in the operation of the prison mold, may be greater than
that applied in the above-referred to patent. In actual
practice, where the closing forces were measured, it was
found that a greater than 25% increase in force was
achieved.
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15433
Furthermore 9 it can readily be seen that four molds
are being supported and moved relative to each other,
in the present invention, within the confines of space
which is no greater than thaw which was provided for in
the above-referred to prior art patent.
With the foregoing in view, and description previously
provided, it can be seen that an operating mechanism is
provided for the prison mold in a glass forming machine
wherein the four molds are all held closed with equal
forces being exerted on all the molds, and that the molds
may be opened an amount sufficient to permit movement of
the prisons and the neck molds through the space provided
between the open molds, while not requiring the molds to
be opened to such an extent that they will interfere
with mechanisms on adjacent forming sections. It should
be kept in mind also that the machine section shown and
described herein, in normal practice, is only one of a
series of sections positioned side-by-side. It is common
practice to provide at least adjacent sections, and there
are even some machines which are made up of 10-sections
all in series, abutting relationship.
